Building construction



I .15 v I 2 /Z March 7, 1933. H. c. SMITH .900.369

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION I Filed Jan. 16, 1932 5a 9a 5a IN VEN TOR Patented Mar. 7, 1933 HERBERT C. SMI'.I'.HI OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Application filed January 16, 1932. Serial No. 587,080.

The present invention relates to building construction, particularly walls and ceilings, and has for its primary object the provision of certain advantages with respect to such features as acoustical treatment; thermal insulation; ventilation; decoration; 1ll umination; expediting construction; permitting several construction and finishing operations to be carried on at one time; and otherwise meeting many modern building requirements.

While the above named features are provided by my invention it is an ihdividual object of the invention to provide improved F acoustical treatment which is eflicient, pleasing in appearance, reasonable in first cost,

and particularly durable and fireproof.

In the art of acoustical treatmentsof interiors it has been found that the most eflithose which are ill adapted to'direct exposure either for practical purposes or for the sake of appearance. Unquestionably, the most efficient material, both from acoustical and thermal insulation standpoints is a coating of fibrous material applied directly to the wall or ceiling. Mineral wool blankets are among the preferred materials and such are usually contained between sheets of cheesecloth, chicken wire or other inexpen- .sive coverings which do not interfere with the acoustical properties. The present invention provides for the use of mineral wool blankets or in fact any sound absorbing material regardless of appearance or suitability for direct exposure.

My invention contemplates the use of hardware cloth or other foraminous material which will allow air and sound waves to 40 pass freely "while giving a substantially opaque or non-translucent appearance to the usual observer. Such material, or any other reasonably priced material capable of passing sound waves without reflecting them ap preciably, is of a flexible nature incapable of supporting itself over appreciable areas without sagging, or without presenting difficulties'in application. i

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide for employing any acouscient sound absorbing materials are usually tical material, thermal insulation or the like to ceilings and the like while obscuring same from direct view with superimposed material or membrane of suitable appearance, rigidity and economy.

. Another object of the invention is to improve the efiiciency of any well known acoustical material.

Another object of the invention is to provide for preserving the appearance of a ceiling or wall where ventilating apparatus, illuminating apparatus, structural features, and the like, or any of themgfinormally interfere with the provision of e cient acoustical and an advantage of this invention that such conditions may be maintained but may be obscured by means both practical and decorative.

With the foregoing objects and advantages in view, any one of which may be carried out alone or in conjunction with others, I have provided an improved interior construction; one practical form of-which I will now describe in detail so that those skilled in the building arts will be enabled to practice same.

I have illustrated by the accompanying drawing, a room which has been treated acoustically in accordance with my invention, and in which room many objectionable features common to present building construction, have been overcome and turned to advantage.-

In the said. drawing;

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a room in which several features and advantages of my invention have been incor orated without any greater cost than if on y the acoustical advantages of after.

my invention were sought Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom elevato provide a plurality of openings, 23, etc.

tion of that which I hereinafter term the screen.

Figures 3, 4 and 5, respectively, are larger scale views than Figures 1 and 2, respectively, showing a fragment of the screen in plan, bottom elevation, and cross section, respectively.

More specifically, 8 indicates the ce ling of a room or enclosure 9, and altho the invention is not confined to any type of construction the structure is here shown as 'monolithic, since such offers greater difficulties in decorative and acoustical treatments.

The room is shown as served by a passing air-conditioning or ventilating duct, 10, as well as by electrical conduits, 11, and fireextinguishing sprinkler pipes, 7; while columns such as, 12, connect floor, 13, and ceiling, 8, at points remote from the side walls, 14. The interior is also shown as divided-by a partition, 15, of the type which does not extend to the ceiling proper. The duct, 10, is providedwith an outlet opening, 16, for air'delivery, which may be high velocity without objection. The ceiling surface proper is undecorated and the electrical conduits and the like are not imbedded in the ceiling. All this provides'economy in construction.

To treat the interior acoustically, the ceiling is shown as coated with a suitable thickness of insulation, 17, which may be ordinary mineral wool blankets, or any other suitable material which is readily attached to the ceiling as by cementing, gluing, nailing, wiring or any other well known expedient not illustrated.

Mineral wool blankets are preferable since the wool may be exposed directly to sound waves reaching it from below, and such material is highly eificient in sound absorp tion.

In conformity with a salient feature of my invention, a screen generally indicated at 3 is provided, held in spaced paralled relationship to the ceiling, below the ducts, pipes and the like; thus providing a space, 18, there between. The screen is co-extensive of the ceiling area and is here shown as supported partially by the partition, 15,

. over which it passes, as well as by moulding, 19, secured to the side walls, 14, and also by any well known hanger devices such as wires, 21, depending from the ceiling and connected to obscure portions of the screen as at 21A, so as to be accessible but out of view.

Altho any foraminous screen .may be employed, I have illustrated a screen which has advantages particularly apparent to the architect and builder. The screen consists of a rigid skeleton comprised of substantially integral inverted T ribs, 22, arranged The horizontal bar 22a of each rib is disposed downwardly while the vertical bar 221) of the rib is uppermost. Thus around each opening the corresponding part of the bar 22a forms a ledge or shoulder encompassing each opening.

These openings, except in cases about to be cited, are each provided with a slightly larger rectangular insert, 2a, of hardware cloth, of such mesh and wire size as to support itself suitably over the corresponding opening while resting upon the ledges provided and each insert is loosely disposed on the corresponding ledges except for clips, 25, employed to retain them from vibration or accidental upward movement.

In conformity with another object of this invention, as will be appreciated by those seeking to standardize on materials, sizes, and the like in building construction, said skeletons are provided by, and may actually be, metal window frames of the type now noted for their durability, pleasing appearance, standardized sizes and shapes, and fireproof and rigid qualities- In the present embodiment I have shown a plurality of these metal window frames connected to provide the full ceiling screen. In this embodiment each complete metal window frame is shown as bounded on all sides by an integral rib of angle iron, 26, the abutting ribs of two adjacent frames being connected by bolts, 27, to provide an assembly of great rigidity. It is well known that these frames are to be had on the market in a wide variety of standard sizes which may be variously combined according to this invention to provide a substantially co-extensive rigid screen-skeleton to fit any standard dimension of ceiling, wall or other surface.

The clips, 25, are simply of inverted U shape snapped over the ribs, 22, to retain the screen inserts in place. Obviously, these inserts. are very easily installed and may be cut from narrow widths of wire cloth j acent openings.

Where the columns occur, same pass thru a corresponding opening; the margins of such opening being formed by adjacent ribs which may be formed to closely embrace the column; the particular frame thruwhich the column passes being assembled around the column from smaller units, or a single unit split to fit around the column and then welded to original shape.

An electrical conduit, 11, is shown passing down thru a corresponding opening; the said opening being here shown as covered by an escutcheon plate, 28,-.or the like in keeping with the lighting fixture, 29, below.

Either before or after the job 1s completed, the frames and screen may be decoratcd as desired; it being understood that screening of the proper wire size and mesh may be decorated in keeping with other wall surfacesof the room without reducing its total area of openings.

Ventilating air supplied thru the duct may be delivered into the space, 18, at high velocity without fear of objectionable an noise or draft. The sound absorbing material above, and the air space between same and the screen, as well as the screen proper,

all co-act to absorb air noises caused by the ventilating air.

-Also, and that which is of decided advantage in air conditioning; the. fine mesh of the screen and its resistance to air flow will cause the air supplied by the relatively small duct opening, 16, to distribute itself quitc evenly thruout the space, 18, and then filter slowly downwardly .thru the screen cloth at low velocityand so provide equal distribution of air thruout the room and correspondingly even distribution of heating or cooling effect, as the case may be.

In the case of cooled and dehumidified air, much difficulty has heretofore been experienced in that relatively cold dehumidified air descends from the duct openings to the floor without even distribution of ventilating and cooling effect thruout the room. In the case of my improved construction, cold air entering the space, 18, substantially horizontally will mix with warmer rising air and will reach the proper temperature cupied levels of the room; this construction providing all the advanta es of the usual expensive and costly reheating methods now resorted to in'air-conditioning work to prevent stratification' of cold air. In other words, the screen provides a fine mesh grille of very great area. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the acoustical arts that sound waves passing to the insulation at the ceiling will be absorbed as usual while passing thru the wire screening without being reflected thereby, particularly since the wire cloth inserts are not stretched .to a taut position.. The clips retaining the screen inserts hold them down against any tendency to vibrate as a whole to certain tones.

It is also an advantage of this invention that the air space between the screen and the insulation at the ceiling acts to absorb some of the sound waves even before they reach the insulation, while the small percentage of waves reflected from the insula -tion are further deadened in passing back thru this air space and thru the screen. In

some air-conditioning practices the duct, 10, would be used as an exhaust duct, air being drawn fromthe room up thru the screen. Also, in some instances acoustical effects may be improved'b drawing ventilating air upwardly thru t 0 screen. In'any event, my improved ceiling construction permits of flow of air in either direction.

At all times the sprinkler system is obscured but it is none the less effective if operation thereof is required. In such case, the great strength of the screen skeleton will well withstand'any load imposed by water filtering thru it while the screenin will more evenly distribute the water. ere there is appreciable heat being developed below the screen, the relatively large area of exposed screen-wire surface. will result in a very rapid evaporation ofwater in the heated air and the room will be far more uickly filled with a flame, suffocating bla at of steam or vapor than in the case of ordinary sprinkler practice.

In the case of a large room divided into a plurality of small offices by partitions such the appreciable volumes experienced with rooms ordinarily divided bypartitions such as 15 since only a small portion of waves rislng on one side of a partition can be re- .flecteddownwardly to the other side; equilibrium before descending to the oc- Even leaving asideall the other advantages mentioned herein, my invention provides .a distinct and finished appearance to the ceiling of a room while permitting .of treating the ceiling with acoustical material even of an unsightly nature. Of course,

the same treatment herein described may be applied to side walls.

v The screen forms a false ceiling composed ings which are substantially structural ex-v tensions of the ceilings proper, my improved ceiling ma be comprised of several similar and interc angeable manufactured units as shown; each more 'or less independently 4 mo est I suspended while all co-acting to provide for the ready installation of a complete screen or false ceiling. Each unit is of such dimension that it may be readily installed and possesses a high degree of rigidity for a relatively economical distribution of metal.

The wiresemployed for suspending each unit are shown as passing thru corresponding apertures 32 ,in the vertical portions of those ribs which are remote from the extreme outer boundaries 'ef the unit, so that strains are evenly distributed. By this method of suspension the entire false ceiling or screen may be installed devoid of sagging and. without recourse to heavy girder construction in ceilings of large area; whereas otherwise greater weight and expense would be involved.

The present invention obviously provides a co-extensive space between the screen and the ceiling proper, devoid of all structural elements with the exception of the widely spaced suspending wires. In fact the present invention provides that which is in reality a suspended false screen or ceiling of suitable rigidity between oints of suspension, altho otherwise possibly incapable of spanning a great area without intermediate suspension. The bolts employed need only be sufiicient in number and strength to hold the units in proper juxtaposition and horizontal alignment without however being required to counteract sagging.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that in instances where a space between intrados, sofiits and the like is to be thus screened, at single frame unit may be selected of such size as to span the space without intermediate suspension and in such case the close arrangement of inverted 'l' ribs provided by the frame units will provide for holding the inserts in the advantageous manner previously .described.

My invention may be applied'topractically any building construction; at no needless expense where the building hasbeen previously constructed, and without departure from .usual construction in the case of new buildings.

Sound absorbing material is less expensive of application where the ceiling expanse is interrupted only by the suspension wires and obviously enough my invention provides a unique and inexpensive combination for carrying out the objects of. my invention; said combination consisting in most cases of a large area of sound absorbing material, a plurality of metal frames each of smaller area and each frame providing a multiplicity of still smaller openings each covered by a foraminous insert.

While in the foregoing I have been specific as to certain constructions, materials, and arrangement of parts, and adaptations to specific building conditions, such is done only by way of example and to show the flexibility of application of my invention to varying conditions and I do not limit myself to any specific combinations; my invention being of broad nature, and while thruout the specification and ensuing claims the term ceiling is employed, it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other walls such as the side walls.

I claim 1. In a structure-having a ceiling, a plurality of inverted T metal frame members an ularl intersecting one another to provi e a s eletonizedfalse ceiling spaced below the ceiling proper and defining a multiplicity of openings each bounded by an encompassing ledge, foraminous ceiling obscuring inserts one for each opening and resting on the corresponding ledge; said false ceiling and inserts obscuring the space between the false ceiling and the ceiling proper.

2. The structure as in claim 1 and further including sound absorbing material in said space.

3. The structure as in claim 1 and furthere including clips engaging the innermost parts of said inverted T members to retain said inserts.

4. The structure as in claim 1 and further including, means obscured by said inserts connecting said frame members to the ceiling proper.

5. The structure as in claim 1 and further including; means obscured by said inserts connecting said frame members to the ceiling proper; said inserts removably lodged in certain of the said openings and said means accessible thru such openings.

HERBERT 0. SMITH. 

